News

City Of Portland Hopes To End Pedestrian Fatalities With Vision Zero Plan

by
Lizzy Duffy
OPB
June 2, 2015 5:15 p.m.
| Portland

Over 30 bicycle riders and advocates gathered outside of Oregon Department of Transportation offices in Portland, Oregon in May. The riders gathered to protest unsafe road conditions after a cyclist recently lost a limb in an accident.

Casey Minter/OPB

Portland city officials on Tuesday unveiled Vision Zero, a goal to curb the fatalities each year on the city’s “high crash corridors” like Powell Boulevard, Foster Road, Division Street and 122 Avenue.

Mayor Charlie Hales, Commissioner Steve Novick and Portland Bureau of Transportation Director Leah Treat spoke at City Hall, encouraging drivers to slow down and be more aware of pedestrians.

“We need call on our fellow citizens to think about speeding like we think about drunk driving,” said Hales. “It’s not OK. It’s not OK to put other people at risk for our own convenience.”

Novick highlighted House Bill 2621, which would place unmanned speed cameras along the Portland’s 10 high crash corridors. Treat said that these streets make up 3 percent of total roads in Portland, but account for 51 percent of all pedestrian fatalities.